OVD-Info: Putin's words to be checked for extremism

In the centre of Nizhny Novgorod, a banner with a portrait of Boris Nemtsov has been taken down from the front of a building belonging to local businessman German Knyazev, Interfax has reported.

Knyazev told the agency that on 10 March he replaced a banner with a picture of Nemtsov that had been taken down with a new banner depicting a portrait of the murdered politician alongside a quote from a speech made by Putin to senior officials at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD): “Russia needs to finally be delivered from scandal and tragedy, like … the brazen killing of Boris Nemtsov right in the centre of our capital.”

Knyazev said that taking down the banner from the balcony took two hours and police had to resort to using a fire engine to remove it.

“They’re going to take it away for linguistic experts to examine it for extremism,” said Knyazev, adding that he had informed law enforcement officials whose words were being cited on the poster. Knyazev also said that he was planning to hang up a new banner: “I think one banner will be enough for them”

The press office of the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs in Nizhny Novgorod announced that an investigation was underway with regard to the banner.

Knyazev had already put up a poster on the same building on 4 March with an image of Nemtsov and the caption ‘Whom will you kill next to defeat your own chimeras?’ The police arrived to remove the poster after an hour and showed concern regarding the use of the word chimera. An administrative offence report was subsequently drawn up and checks are currently underway, with eyewitnesses being interviewed.

Boris Nemtsov was killed on the night of 28 February in central Moscow. Five people have been arrested in connection with the murder.